1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus to capture, remove or collect unusable products, more particularly, particulate matter from a fluid containing a liquid reaction. The liquid reaction of the fluid further containing unwanted waste products, more particularly, particulate matter.
In particular, this invention uses a screen to capture the particulate matter from a liquid reaction. The screen is a hand-held device or the screen is part of an apparatus, which may optionally include scrapers, drivers, rollers and artificial flow inducers.
More particularly, the hand-held screen or the screen apparatus is partially or completely disposed into a fluid and contacting the fluid such that it captures, removes or collects particulate matter from the fluid.
2. General Background and State of the Art
Many industrial chemical processes have by-products in the form of particulate matter, which impedes or ceases further processing if the by-product is not removed, captured or collected from the reaction. In particular, particulate matter (PM), are small solids suspended in water or liquid solution. Particulate matter vary in size, shape, density, and electrical charge. Often the PM disrupts the normal chemical reaction or prevents recycling or regeneration of a fluid system.
Regeneration of a system, for example, regeneration of starting materials from the products of a chemical reaction, prevents otherwise constant rejuvenation by having to purchase and add new starting materials. The endless process of adding new starting materials is expensive and not cost effective. In addition, constant rejuvenation of starting materials poses various potential health and safety issues associated with the disposal of the “spent” products. For example, the health and safety of handling and storing large quantities of a reagent/chemical, or waste.
Therefore, it is advantageous to improve methods to capture, remove or collect particulate matter (PM) from a fluid containing a liquid reaction to prevent further supplying the reaction with new starting materials.
It is further advantageous to capture, remove or collect any or all PM from such fluids to allow or improve the regeneration of the starting materials.
Further, effective regeneration of the starting materials is cost effective and prevents having to safely store any waste or unwanted products of a liquid reaction.